Under Certain Circumtances
by Okami Yuurei
Summary: MaixNaru, LinxMado, AyaxTaki, slight MasaxOC, JohnxOC, slight NaruxOC. The SPR gets some new cases that may prove difficult. Maybe its time that Naru called upon a few old friends... Please R&R! Constructive comments greatly appreciated!
1. Precognitive Dreams

**Disclaimer: Okay! Tora here again, although in disguise as Mariya with Naru, whom I have dragged along to do the disclaimer for me! Say it!**

**Naru: What makes you think I will?**

**Tora: The fact that I have a certain spirit that probably wouldn't mind disposing of you if you don't.**

**Naru: ...Hmph...**

**Tora: Say it.**

**Naru: Tora-san does not own the anime/manga Ghost Hunt. She only owns her OCs, mainly Mariya.**

**Tora: See? That wasn't so hard, was it?**

**Naru: Tch... shut the hell up will you?**

Under Certain Circumstances

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Chapter 1

Precognitive Dreams

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_Sitting tightly in a circle, the four teens closely watched the glass cup in the center of the table in front of them, every eye monitoring the glass' movements. Slowly, the leader spoke into the darkness. "Is there an entity here with us tonight?"_

_There was no answer._

_Attempting to draw the spirit out, the leader spoke again. "If you are here with us, please make a sound so that we know you are here."_

_There was silence for a few moments after she said this. Then, there was a soft tapping noise. As slight as the tap was, they were still certain that someone, or something was there with them. The younger girl in the group gasped and clung desperately to the boy she was sitting beside. "Kero-niichan...I'm scared..." she whimpered, squeezing her big brother's arm tighter._

"_Neh, Asa-chan, it's okay," Kero said reassuringly, ruffling his little sister's short hair._

_Smiling subconsciously to herself because her call had been answered, the leader asked another question. "Are you a female spirit? Please move the glass in the center of the table clockwise if yes and counter-clockwise if no."_

_There was another silence, and then the glass slowly began to move in the clockwise direction. "Kei, take this down for me," she said, whispering to the boy at her side. "Now answer this question Spirit; are there others like you in this house? Please making the tapping sound that you made earlier to signal how many other entities are with you."_

_There was silence, but this time for a longer period. One minute passed. Two minutes. Seeing that the spirit was pointing out that no one else was with her, the leader girl motioned for the boy opposite her turn on the voice-recording equipment. "Spirit, what happened to you? Why do you stay in this place?"_

_There was no response. "Spirit! What happened to you?"_

_Suddenly, there was a whisper, like that of a child. It was too soft to understand. "Kero," the head girl said, turning to the boy on the other side of the table, "give me the audio equipment. NOW."_

"_D-demo, Ma-," he stuttered, attempting to persuade the girl that this was not a good idea._

"_Give it to me."_

"_D-de-...uh...hai."_

_Placing the headphones to her ears, she immediately began to pick up sounds that had not been heard before. What she heard next was most startling. The whisper from before could now be heard clearly, and the child was crying. "Why, oneechan? Why did you leave me? What have I done? Why must I stay here, alone?"_

_Her entire body began to shake. Kero placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mariya-chan, daijoubu desu ka?" he asked, steadying the swaying girl._

_Mariya continued to shake. Her hands were covering her ears, as if there was something she was trying to block out, while tears streamed down her paling face. She threw her head back and screamed in agony, as if she were being stabbed by a thousand daggers. Her lavender eyes flashed saphire in an instant. "I...didn't leave...you..." she whispered in a voice she did not recognize to be her own, and began to lose consciousness, "Yukie-chan..."_

"_Mariya-chan!" Kero's voice yelled shaking the unconscious girl. "Mariya-chan!" His desperate voice began to fade away and was then replaced by another._

"_Mai!" came the other voice. "Mai!!"_

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"Ahhh!" 16-year-old Taniyama Mai jumped up like she'd sat on springs. When she actually came to, four faces were staring at her. "Oh my god, did I fall asleep just now?!"

"Now, now, Mai-san," came a reproachful voice. "How many times do I have to tell you? Do not say the Lord's name in vain." Mai rubbed her eyes and realized that it had been John Brown who'd said this. Figures, though. Catholic priest. 'Nough said. Behind him were the smiling faces of Takigawa and Ayako, who had apparently enjoyed watching Mai flip over the back of her chair.

"Now, now, Mai-san," Takigawa said, imitating John and waving a finger back and forth as if to scold her. "He's right you know."

"Ohh!" Mai said, shoving Takigawa in the chest and causing him to stumble. "Shut up, Bou-san!"

Ayako laughed and mimicked Mai. "Yeah, shut up, Bou-san!"

On the other side of the room, Masako sat quietly on the sofa, listening to the voices of Mai and the others. "Hmph," she thought, unhappily. "How idiotic."

From behind Masako, Lin grumbled something inaudibly. It probably translated to, "What idiots."

"Alright. I think we get it," another voice said from behind Takigawa and Ayako. They turned around slowly to face a certain black-haired narcissist...

"NARU-CHAN?!"

Mai looked up and noticed what was going on. "Ah, ohayo, Naru!" she said, waving cheerfully.

Naru didn't so much as nod in response to Mai's friendly greeting. Turning and walking back to his desk, his only words were, "Mai, tea."

"Gahh! I should have expected that!" Mai scowled, getting up and stomping over to the kettle. "Stupid workaholic!"

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Yay! First chapie! Yes, it probably does suck. I'm experimenting with this, so do not judge me by how bad it might suck. The little dream sequence Mai has in the beginning will be explained soon. Please review and send in your constructive comments. I also need ideas for other names for characters... anywayyy...

Also, those of you who have added me to your watch list or whatever, please leave me a review before hand.

Ja ne, minna!

Tora or Mariya...yeah...


	2. The Newcomer

Disclaimer: For real disclaimer, please refer to Chapter 1. Thank you.

_Italicized_ text: dream sequence/flashback

**Bold** text: sound effect

Under Certain Circumstances

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Chapter 2

The Newcomer

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"Alright! Kei, get your equipment. We've got a job offer," the 17-year-old yelled as she stuffed her sketchbook and notes into her black messenger bag. She had short, layered, black hair and piercing violet eyes. Her brother scrambled clumsily through the door with loads of books and pens stacked up in front of his face. He looked a lot like his sister, with his spiky black hair, but his eyes were a beautiful ocean blue.

**BOOM!**

Kei panted as he dropped all of his things onto a chair with what sounded like a sonic boom. "Okay," Kei said between breaths "I've...got my...stuff...Mariya-oneechan."

Mariya whapped herself in the forehead. "Dear god, this has to be a joke. Wait-are those comic books?!" she said, sighing at her 16-year-old brother's antics. She picked a thin book off the top of the pile and flipped through it lackadaisically. "What is this, anyway?"

Kei huffed and snatched the magazine out of her hands. "It's a paranormal investigator magazine. I read these in my spare time."

Mariya shrugged and slung her messenger bag over her shoulder, almost completely ignoring what her brother had said. "You better not be taking all of that. Narrow it down to the things you are absolutely certain you need and meet me outside. We've got somewhere to be and only 10 minutes to get there."

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Mai yawned and stretched her arms from behind the desk in the office. Glancing around the room, he found almost everyone in the same state as she was; bored. 'Masako is reading a book on the sofa, Lin is typing away on his laptop's keyboard, and Madoka just jumped into the office via the window, which, quite frankly, is beyond me how she did, being that the office is on the second floor! How the hell did that woman get up here, anyway? Ayako is trying to make conversation with Takigawa, who is giving John a major noogie, and Naru? God knows what Naru is doing, probably doing some research for something or another. That guy just doesn't know how to have fun.'

Mai sighed and looked out the window. The SPR hadn't had a big case since the Yoshimi's spirit filled house. Nothing had even happened since then, no phone calls, no appointments, NOTHING. She sighed again and began to draw circles on the desk with her finger. 'What a boring day.'

"Alright, listen up," Naru's startlingly commanding voice said from his office. "I've gotten a phone call for a case and we're taking it-"

Takigawa cheered immaturely and clapped his hands together, interrupting the young president's announcement. "Yosh! That's what I'm talking about!" he said, pumping a fist in the air. "Finally something good!"

Ayako smacked him upside the head with her purse. "Shut up, Bou-san! Let's hear what Naru-chan has to say."

Naru cleared his throat. "However, I've called in two more people to help us with the oncoming cases..."

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"Ah, darn it," Mariya grumbled, her face buried in a map. "Shibuya Psychic Research...where the hell is it?" She crumpled up the paper and scowled. "Arghh! Why the hell are these maps so frickin' complicated?" At least Kei had narrowed his things down to some notes and equipment, so she really had no reason to get mad at him anymore.

Kei looked around at the buildings as his sister fumed over the directions. "Uh...Oneechan...It's right there..." he said, pointing towards the second floor of one of the buildings.

"Great!" Mariya yelled, her mood suddenly changing. "Now we're not late!" Something was strange, though. 'Shibuya...Shibuya... Why is that name so familiar?' she thought, walking slowly up the steps to the door.

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"You WHAT?!" almost everyone yelled at once, minus Lin, because, y'know, he has to be cool, and John because Bou-san dropped him and he landed hard on his butt, making him say, "Ouch!" instead.

"Wait, Naru," Mai and Masako yelled out at once. "You said this girl was an old friend of yours?"

Naru nodded stoically. "From the orphanage when I was a kid."

"Ohhh...I see," came the generic reply.

"In fact," Naru continued, "she should be here any minute-"

**Click!**

The door slowly creaked open revealing a pair of black-haired teens. The girl spoke first. "Um, is this Shibuya Psychic Research?-" she asked, scanning the room. Her violet eyes landed on Naru and her smile faded. "NARU-baka!!!!!!" she yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at Naru. "Shibuya! I should have known that you'd do something like that! Darn it! I should have known!"

Naru sent the fuming girl a smirk. "Mariya-_**chan**_."

Mariya's violet eyes went red in fury. "WHAT?! Don't treat me like that just because I'm younger than you by 2 months!"

Naru ignored her and turned to her companion. "Nice to see you again, Kei."

Kei nodded quietly and stepped around his sister. "Likewise."

"Hey! I'm not finished, here! NARU!"

Masako stood up, catching Mariya's eye. "Are you the people that are going to be helping us solve our cases from now on?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Mariya stuck her tongue out at Naru and walked past him. "So, now that you sorta know who Kei and I are, mind introducing yourselves?"

"My name is Hara Masako," Masako said. (Obviously.)

"Koujo Lin," Lin said.

"Mori Madoka. It's a pleasure."

"Takigawa Houshou," said Bou-san. (Again, obviously.)

"John Brown. Pleased to meet you."

"Matsuzaki Ayako."

"Taniyama Mai! Nice ta meetcha!"

"Well then, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Kohagura Mariya and this is my brother and assistant, Kei," Mariya said, smiling. She looked over at Naru, anticipating what he would say next.

Naru cleared his throat to make another announcement. 'Ha!' she thought. I knew it!' Mariya chuckled quietly to herself as Naru sent her a strange look.

Regaining his composure, Naru began to speak. "Okay, now for our newest case..."

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Hooray! Another chapter done! Jeez, I seriously have to finish up Charmed and a few of the other story ideas from earlier. God. They're eating away at me, again... I'll try to update as soon as I can, and also get my other stories up there so that I can work on them too. But in the meanwhile, thanks for reading and I'll see ya in the next chapter or next story or whatever...yeah...

Ja ne, minna-san!

Tora aka Okami Yuurei

P.S. Review, god darnit!


	3. File 09: Mirror, Mirror Part 1

Disclaimer: For real disclaimer, please refer to Chapter 1. Thank you.

_Italicized_ text: dream sequence/flashback

**Bold** text: sound effect

"text": talking

'text': thinking/narrating something that is read

Under Certain Circumstances

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Chapter 3

File 09: Mirror, Mirror

Part 1

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'_Where...am I?' Mai wondered, studying her surroundings. This dream was a little different from her past dreams. It was as if she was actually in a building, a solid building with painted walls. She could even make out pictures of nature hanging from nails along the hallway. The hall was deathly quiet and there wasn't a person in sight. She felt lonely, even though it was just a dream. 'Naru? Where are you, this time?'_

"_Mai." She turned to see him standing behind her. "It isn't safe here. This place-" Naru was cut off by an ear-piercing scream. Mai jumped back and instinctively held on to Naru's arm._

"_Naru..." she whispered. "What was that?"_

_Naru narrowed his midnight blue eyes and focused on the room to their left; Room 4. "She's come."_

"_What? Who?" Mai asked. 'What happened to Naru? He isn't smiling, again...' She found herself no longer in the hallway, but inside Room 4 facing the bathroom. She gasped. The lifeless body of a woman in gray lay on the white, tiled, floor of the bathroom, her ivy green eyes still wide open and her light brown hair strewn messily about. On her neck were blue bruise marks in the shape of hands. The woman had been strangled. "Oh my god."_

_Naru turned on the light and Mai almost screamed. The mirror on the bathroom wall had been written on with what seemed to be red paint, but the sinking feeling in Mai's stomach told her that it was blood. Mai read the words on the mirror and shivered. 'Foolish child. You deserved to die. Hatred. Despair. Murderer! MURDERER!'_

"_Mai," Naru said, pushing the girl protectively behind him. "You need to go. Now. It's dangerous here."_

"_But...Naru!"_

"_Just go! You need to wake up!"_

"_Naru!"_

"_Mai. Daijoubu desu ka? Mai."_

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"Ahhhh!" Mai yelled, her brunette head flying off of the book she had been reading. Mariya stood on the opposite side of the desk, her calm lavender orbs showing an unusual amount of worry. "Oh, Mariya-san! It's just you..." She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "You startled me..."

"Sorry about that," Mariya replied, not taking her eyes off of the girl. "What's up?"

Mai shook her head violently, waving her hands in a "No, its nothing," manner. "Um...nothing..."

Mariya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She turned around and then paused, as if she had forgotten something. "Oh, and Mai?" she said, looking back over her shoulder, "Everyone is already outside. I suggest you hurry and get packed!"

Mai's eyes turned the size of dinner plates. "Nani!!!!! I'm late again!"

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_.:Flashback:._

"_Now, about our next case..." said Naru, opening the brand new file folder he held in his hands. The office fell silent, everyone's attention focused on the president. "I got a call from a woman named Ichihara Yaeko in Shinjuku-ku. She runs a boarding house and believes that one of the rooms upstairs is haunted."_

"_Really?" Takigawa said, clapping his hands together. "Is this really 'Ichihara Inn'?"_

_Ayako slapped her forehead. "Of course! Ichihara Inn! How could I not see that!" She and Takigawa literally jumped up and down, hand in hand, like young children._

_**Silence.**_

"_Um..." Mai said, breaking the uncomfortable silence just as Ayako and Takigawa realized they were at the center of attention and struggled to regain composure. "What?"_

_Ayako's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that you guys have never heard of 'Ichihara Inn?" The rest of the SPR, save Takigawa and herself, shook their heads. "The place is _legendary_! It's been famous for generations, is what my mother said. But apparently it's not just a famous place to stay, it's also a ghost hangout."_

_.:End Flashback:._

"Aww, man!" Takigawa said, stepping out of the mini-van he had been forced to drive and stretched his arms. "That was the longest drive of my life!"

Ayako got out of the van on the passenger's side. "It was only 45 minutes. Traffic slowed us down considerably," she said, turning to open the still child locked sliding door to release the other passengers. "Oh, that's right, you don't like driving."

"Very, VERY true."

"Ahhhh! Solid ground!" Mai yelled, holding her head and wobbling around. "No wonder Bou-san doesn't drive!"

John put a hand on Mai's shoulder. "Oh, come now, Mai-san! It wasn't THAT bad-"

"YES IT WAS!!!!!"

Masako scowled, like she always does. 'What loud idiots.'

Naru's car pulled up next to the van and he, Lin, Mariya, and Kei stepped out of the car. "Ready to go?" Mariya asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

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Author's Note: Sorry this is so short and late. Homework has been a total pain recently, so I haven't been able to update. I'll do what I can next time!

Cheers,

Okami


	4. File 09: Mirror, Mirror Part 2

Disclaimer: For real disclaimer, please refer to Chapter 1. Thank you.

--

_Italicized_ text: dream sequence/flashback

**Bold** text: sound effect

"text": talking

'text': thinking/narrating something that is read

_**Bold and italicized**_ text: inner/something heard by the mind

--

Under Certain Circumstances

--

Chapter 4

File 09: Mirror, Mirror

Part 2

--

The SPR team was greeted by a kind looking young woman upon entering the hotel. "Welcome!" she exclaimed as Naru and the others neared the concierge desk at which she was sitting. "Are you Shibuya Kazuya of Shibuya Psychic Research?"

Naru nodded. "I am," he replied. Gesturing towards the others he said, "And this is my team." Then he paused a familiar red-headed woman stepped out from behind her. "Ah, Madoka. Good of you to join us."

Madoka smiled and waved.

The first woman bowed and smiled. "Anyway, I am extremely grateful that you came. My name is Ichihara Yaeko and I run this establishment."

Mai looked at the woman. She could have been no older than Takigawa or Ayako. "Umm...excuse my asking, but what has happened in this hotel?"

Yaeko's face darkened. "If you will follow me upstairs, I will explain." She started up the stairs, the SPR in tow. As they reached the top of the stairs, Yaeko started to lead them down the long hallway. "30 years ago," she began, "Ichihara Hotel was a popular place to stay. It still is, but back then it was top ranked in the area. My father and mother ran this place back then. They found a woman in one of the upstairs rooms-"

Mai looked fearfully down the hall. "Strangled...to death...?" The last part of her sentence came out as no more than a whisper.

Yaeko looked back at Mai. "...Y-yes...how did you know?"

Mai gulped. "I just...had a...feeling."

Yaeko continued. "So yes, they found the woman in the bathroom, hand marks on her neck and bloody words written on the mirror. The door was still locked from the inside when the maid came in to do housekeeping and all the windows were closed. To this day, no one knows what happened to her."

Naru seemed deep in thought. "What room did you say this was in?"

"Well, I didn't, but it's room 4," she replied, indicating the oak wood door to the party's left.

**THUMP.**

And with that, Mai fainted.

--

Mariya looked around the hallway, her violet orbs darting from corner to corner. _'_This isn't good...a malicious aura is emanating from that room...I can sense It.' she thought, fearing for the safety of the group, Mai most importantly. 'She's sensitive to these things. That makes her vulnerable.'

"Yaeko-san...would it be possible for me to go inside room 4? I would like to take a look around, from a psychic perspective," Mariya said, motioning to the door.

"Ah...yes, yes of course."

Masako looked a little annoyed at the new girl. The last thing she wanted was competition. "I'm going too."

Naru nodded as the two girls disappeared from sight. "We will be needing a meeting room for our base. Do you have one available, Ichihara-san?"

"Oh yes, of course. You can use the first room on the left side of the hallway on the first floor."

"Thank you," Naru replied, and turned to the priest and the monk. "You two, Bou-san and John, carry Mai back downstairs, please."

"Hai."

--

Mariya closed her eyes as they entered the room. The smells of roses and potpourri were strong in room, yet pleasant enough to calm the soul, and hide a malicious past. Masako was looking around as well, pacing back and forth in front of the beds. Suddenly, was a cold draft that flowed past the two, brushing gracefully past their legs like a ghostly cat. Both mediums froze.

_**...Jealousy won't change anything...**_

_**...You can't stop me...**_

'There!' Mariya thought, dashing for the bathroom. She threw open the door and turned on the light. Nothing. The bathroom remained undisturbed like it had appeared when they first walked in. No people, no writing, no voices; nothing but silence and clean white bath linens. 'Two different voices?'

"Wrong, were you?" Masako asked smugly as Mariya turned and headed for the main door. "It's just the AC. There's nothing here now. We should go back."

"...Fine..." Mariya muttered, following Masako out the door. She glanced around one last time and turned around, the door creaking closed behind her.

--

"How does it look?" Naru asked, without looking up from the computer he was sitting at as the girls returned to Base. Kei was leaning against the wall, his face buried in one of his books. Takigawa and John looked up from where they were standing, near the couch occupied by an unconscious Mai. Takigawa waved. Ayako, Lin, and Madoka were nowhere in sight.

"There's something there to be sure. If I'd had more _time_," Mariya grumbled. "Maybe I would have been able to find something."

"Why do you make it sound like I rushed you?" Masako countered, aghast. She glared ruefully at her opponent and crossed her arms

"You did!"

"Did NOT!"

"ENOUGH," Naru said, raising his voice so as to be heard over the two quarreling psychics. "It doesn't matter. We are here to solve this case and I cannot allow the both of you to continue as you are; yelling and arguing like _children_." He stood up and straightened his jacket. "Understood?"

"Hai..." Masako muttered, embarrassed.

Mariya scoffed. "Whatever..."

"Mmmmm..." A quiet groan came from the sofa and the party turned their attention towards Mai, who slowly sat up and yawned, rubbing her eyes in a tired fashion. "What'd...I...miss...?"

"Oh, just Masako and Mariya duking it out over Naru, that's all-" Takigawa said, grinning.

**SMACK**. Mariya hit him upside the head. Hard. "LIAR..." she seethed, cutting him off.

Suddenly, a scream could be heard outside in the hall. A few moments later, the door burst open and Ayako ran into the room, Lin following close behind, helping a limping, half-conscious Madoka through the door and into a chair.

Mariya rushed over to the panting trio. "What happened? What was it?"

Ayako dropped to the floor, her hands on her knees. "I...I don't know. We were walking down the stairs to get here and it started to get kind of cold. There was a breeze and then something pushed both Madoka and I forward. I was able to catch myself on the railing, but Madoka lost her footing and fell. She hit the wood hard several times before Lin caught her at the bottom of the steps..." she paused and sighed. "What really gets me is the fact that I didn't sense a presence when it happened..."

Mariya nodded and turned to Madoka, kneeling to get to her eye level. "Are you alright, Madoka-san?"

Madoka winced and opened one of her eyes painfully. "...Yes...Thank you..." she whispered, casting a thankful glance at Lin. He pretended not to notice.

"So...do you remember what happened...?"

Madoka's eyes widened in fear. "She...She..." she gulped, stuttering. "She did it."

"Who did what?"

"That lady...the lady that was standing behind Ayako. I could see her when I looked up from the foot of the stairs. She...She was...smirking... and when I blinked, I couldn't see her anymore..." She stopped and cried out painfully, grabbing her shoulder. "Ow! It hurts...!"

Kei had closed his book and was listening in, intrigued. "Madoka-san," he said, his voice calm and soothing as he put his hand gently on her good shoulder. "Madoka-san, it's ok. Calm down. Take deep breaths in and let them out slowly."

As her brother consoled the hysteric woman, Mariya turned to Ayako and Lin. "Was there anyone on that floor with you? Anyone at all?"

Ayako shook her head. "We'd done a sweep of the floor and no one was there. Yaeko told us she'd closed the hotel down for us to do our investigation. It's only us and the staff here now." Lin nodded silently in agreement.

Mariya nodded again and stood up, dusting her knees off. "Right. Looks like you've twisted your ankle and your shoulder is pretty bruised. You should get to a doctor so they can look at it."

Lin was the first person at Madoka's side. He gently helped her out of her seat and supported her as she made her way to the door. He paused for a moment and put his hand on Mariya's shoulder. "Be careful, Mariya-san," he muttered, loud enough for only her to hear. "She's planning to attack tonight. One of us that is."

"How do you know?"

Lin was silent. "She told me." With that, he and Madoka disappeared from sight, leaving Mariya to ponder what he meant.

--

(A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this is so late! I've been kinda busy lately and, well, I just haven't had the time! I'll start working on the next chapter as soon as possible, but here's a short preview of the next one!)

--

Next time on Under Certain Circumstances:

"What do you mean by that?!" Kei asked, slamming his fist on the table. "What do you mean by 'I can't save her'?!"

"Exactly what I said," Naru replied, calmly. "I can't without risking her life. There's too much to be put at stake now. Surely you know that."

"If it takes over, she could die!"

"And if we try to exorcise it while it is in this state, it won't change anything," Naru said, his voice rising slightly. "She'll die anyway. Before it's even out of her body."


End file.
